2024 Bengals Preview: Josh Newton ready to keep overcoming the odds

One of the biggest position battles to watch for the Cincinnati Bengals is at cornerback.

While Cam Taylor-Britt on the boundary and Mike Hilton in the slot are locked up, that second boundary corner spot is up for grabs.

Could we see rookie Josh Newton sixteen that job?

Josh Newton

• Height: 5-foot-11
• Weight: 190 pounds
• Age: 23
• College: TCU
• Experience: Rookie

Cap Status

Newton is signed to a four-year, $4,357,276 contract, including a $337,276 signing bonus, which is also his guaranteed amount. In 2024, Newton will earn a base salary of $795,000 to go with the signing bonus he’s collecting.

Background

It has not been an easy journey for rookie cornerback Josh Newton, a fifth-round selection of the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Newton was ranked 3,146^th in the 2018 recruiting class and had exactly one offer coming out of high school from his hometown team, Louisiana-Monroe.

He transferred to TCU after his redshirt junior year and turned in a stellar first season with 35 tackles, including 2.5 for a loss, 12 pass deflections, three interceptions, and a touchdown. He earned a spot on the first-team All-Big 12 roster and was even named a preseason All-American.

In 2023, Newton managed 33 total tackles, nine pass deflections, and one interception. He allowed 25 catches on 52 targets for 303 yards, 120 yards after the catch, only one touchdown, and an opponent passer rating of 64.8, and the Bengals were happy to add him to an already-crowded cornerback room.

“While the Bengals had a higher grade than the fifth on TCU cornerback Josh Newton and have visions of him staking his claim as possibly the fourth cornerback, that gives Hill room to mix it up with Cam Taylor-Britt and DJ Turner II on the outside and Mike Hilton in the slot while Ravens free agent Geno Stone and his AFC-leading seven picks take over free safety,” wrote Geoff Hobson when the Bengals drafted Newton.

Newton relishes the chance to prove himself once again.

“You only get one opportunity at this,” Newton said in a recent interview with Sports Illustrated. “So it’s really the same thing, but it’s the league, so everything gonna get an extra boost to another pedestal, and so keep doing what I’ve been doing to get me here, and I just gotta stay for sure.”

Slot cornerback Mike Hilton is the veteran in the house, and the outsiders are manned by youngsters Cam Taylor-Britt, Cincinnati’s second-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, and DJ Turner II, who the Bengals grabbed in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Then there is Dax Hill, Cincinnati’s first-round choice in the 2023 NFL Draft, who was converted from safety to cornerback this year, and DJ Ivey, last year’s seventh-round pick.

“Very competitive,” Newton said about the competition he will be facing. “This is the only type of environment you should want to be in as an alpha. But everyone is different, but this seems like we gonna compete for sure if there’s one thing that I’ve caught on for is we gonna compete. So we’ll compete.”

Look for Newton to make a serious push for the No. 4 cornerback role and possibly challenge for a starting role before his rookie season ends, depending on how well DJ Turner and/or Dax Hill hold up.

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